🚬❗️👨🏻‍⚕️ In Georgia, there is a dispute between the NCDC (Center for Disease Control) and Philip Morris Georgia.
It is linked to the center's recent statement that "heated tobacco products and e-cigarettes are just as harmful as traditional tobacco and have been scientifically proven."
The company claims that, in their opinion, this information is incorrect.
“There is no doubt that the best choice for a smoker is to completely give up the use of tobacco and nicotine products, but many people do not give up this. The absence of the combustion process of tobacco can significantly reduce the amount of toxic substances. The harm reduction potential of smokeless tobacco products has been studied by many international health agencies. We respect different opinions and are open to dialogue, but we believe that putting ideology and disinformation above progress is wrong. We urge NCDC to take into account the interests of 800,000 smokers in Georgia and learn about the available scientific data.”

🇬🇪📊 The National Tourism Administration releases statistics for July.
According to their information, 718,401 people visited the country over the past month, which is 177% more than in the same period in 2021, but is 65% compared to pre-pandemic 2019 data.
Citizens of which countries arrived compared with June:
🇷🇺Russia - 156737 +79 thousand by June
🇦🇲Armenia - 103906 +41 thousand people
🇹🇷Turkey - 95989 +33k
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia - 27712 +17k
🇮🇱Israel - 22684 +2 thousand people
⚪️🔴⚪️Belarus – 20773 +8 thousand people
🇺🇦Ukraine - 18711 +3 thousand people
🇰🇿Kazakhstan - 19258 +5 thousand people
🇦🇿Azerbaijan - 14282 +1 thousand people
🇮🇷 Iran - 11787 +2 thousand people
The statistics show a noticeable increase in citizens of Russia, Armenia, Saudi Arabia and a decrease in the number of tourists from Europe.

🦠 Coronavirus statistics for the past (from 02.08 to 08.08) week: the number of infected people has increased again.
12729 new cases (+927)
11199 recovered (+966)
8 died
🧪 The spread of the virus also increased, the detection rate (the number of positive results out of the number of tests) was 16.8% (1.13%).

🔥 The Alazani Valley is on fire in Kakheti.
Eyewitnesses report that several large areas caught fire. According to the emergency services, the most common cause of the fire is the burning of garbage and dried grass by local farmers.

👮🏻‍♂️ The Georgian State Security Service announces the arrest of two citizens in the Ozurgeti municipality for bribery.
According to the agency, the former head of the military registration, connoscription and mobilization service of the mayor's office and another citizen were arrested. According to the investigation, the former official took a bribe of 1,500 lari (about $500) for an unofficial deferral of a connoscript from military service.
❗️ The case is being conducted under article 388 of the Criminal Code of Georgia and is punishable by six to nine years in prison. According to the State Security Service, the accused pleads guilty and cooperates with the investigation.

🏥 The National Center for Disease Control and Public Health (NCDC) has published another report on the spread of the new coronavirus in Georgia.
As of August 9, 2022 in the country:
📍 1,710,049 confirmed cases of the virus
📍 of which 1,679,621 people have recovered
📍 16,877 died (86.4% of the total number of deaths are people over 60)
📍 153 dead medical workers
👶 The number of confirmed cases among children is 17.7% of the total number of confirmed cases.
💉As of July 1, 2022, 2903548 vaccinations were done in Georgia. 1,271,642 people were fully vaccinated. 255,928 people received a third booster dose. Of the total number of vaccinations, AEFI (an adverse event that developed after immunization) was registered in 2055 cases (0.07%), of which 212 cases (0.01%) were serious.

💸 The Russian money transfer service Zolotaya Korona retained its leading position in July in terms of transfer amounts.
This system has been in first place for the third month in a row. According to statistics before the war in Ukraine, the share of the Golden Crown was only 14.1%, and since April it has increased to a record level, the share of this system in the number of transfers exceeded 30%, and in May it reached 41.2%.
In the period from 2012 to 2020, the first places were alternately occupied by Intel Express and Unistream, and Ria Money Transfer, and for the entire last year until the spring of this year, Ria Money Transfer was in the lead.
📊 Money transfers to Georgia by systems for June (in dollars):
📍 "Zolotaya Korona" 136 million (31.9%)
📍 Unistream 111 million (26.1%)
📍"Ria" 48 million (11.4%)
📍"Western Union" 37 million (8.9%)
📍 "Intel Express" 29 million (6.8%)
📍"Contact" 23 million (5.4%)
📍 "Rico Gram" 9 million (2.3%)
ℹ️ In June 2022, Georgia received a record number of transfers, the total amount was $427 million, 54.16% came from Russia.

🇬🇪❤️☀️ Summer in Guria.
While it is hot in most regions of Georgia, teenagers escape from it in lakes and rivers. Here is such a natural pool in Lanchkhuti. Beauty, right? I immediately wanted to visit my grandfather in the village and return to my carefree childhood.
📹 video of Giviko Didia
🎼 music by Niaz Diasamidze 33A

❗️Doctors assess the condition of ex-president of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili as critical.
“There is a dramatic difference between the first and last visits to Mikheil Saakashvili - this is a disease of the third degree of severity, the penultimate one, that is, the stage before death,” Otar Toidze, a neurologist at the Empathy Center, said after visiting the politician at the Vivamed clinic. According to him, in the coming days, a medical group of doctors from the center will visit the former president to draw up a final report on Saakashvili's state of health.
Eyewitnesses and relatives who visit the ex-president report that he has lost more than 10 kilograms, he has problems with memory, and movement is difficult.
ℹ️ The trials of the politician have already been postponed several times. After a series of hunger strikes, he was transferred from the SIZO to a special clinic.

📈🏦 The National Bank of Georgia is trying to contain further strengthening of the lari.
On Wednesday, the regulator - for the third time in August and the fourth since May - bought $40 million at a foreign exchange auction. Now the lari against the dollar is trading at 2.71, although on March 10 the rate was 3.40 lari per $1. This strengthening, according to experts, is partly caused by a sharp increase in remittances to Georgia, including from Russia.

🐐🌿National Geographic Georgia presented an interactive map of the fauna and flora of Georgia.
It shows not only amphibians, birds, fish, reptiles, insects, mammals, molluscs and plants that can be found in the country, but also traces of dinosaurs, as well as places where the Dmanis hominid, one of the species of ancient people, stayed.
It will be interesting to stick it yourself and you can show the map to the children. The denoscription of the pictures, where the number of individuals, places of their population, useful information is indicated, is in English and Georgian.
📌 Website: https://map.nationalgeographic.ge/en/

🇬🇪❤️ "Didgoroba 2022" - August 12 by tradition in the Didgori Valley.
On this day in 1121, a small army of Georgians led by King David Agmashenebeli defeated the army of the Turks. The battle led to the defeat of the Seljuk army and the liberation of Tbilisi, which became the capital of the country.
Every year, the Georgian people pay tribute to the soldiers who fought for the unity of the Motherland.
ℹ️ The Didgori Sword Monument is an hour drive from the center of Tbilisi. Very beautiful place with fresh air and a beautiful panorama of the mountains. The monument stands right on top of the Trialeti ridge, at an altitude of just over 1600 meters above sea level. Stele coordinates: 41°45'38"N 44°30'28"E

🇬🇪🏈 This weekend, Lelos will compete in the qualifying tournament of the Rugby World Series.
Our team will play in Group A with the teams of Chile, South Korea and Papua New Guinea. Only the winner of the playoff stage will receive the coveted ticket to the World Series. It will feature the top two teams from each group and the two third-placed teams. The Georgian national team will play with a fighting squad, they came to the tournament in excellent shape and have good chances of winning. We wish the guys good luck!

🚁🆘 A helicopter was involved in the operation to rescue tourists stuck on Tetnuldi: two foreign tourists were taken to Mestia.
6 people were searched for two days in mountainous Svaneti. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, two of them had injuries and could not move independently, so a helicopter had to be called. The rest of the hikers, one of whom fell into a crevice, were already on foot by rescuers, but so far have not been able to reach them.
❗️ The Tourism Administration and the Ministry of Emergency Situations urge to observe all safety measures and preparations for mountain travel.

⛽️📉 The Georgian government predicts a decrease in car fuel prices in August.
This was stated by the Minister of Economy, Deputy Prime Minister Levan Davitashvili:
“According to our information, issues of competition in the fuel market are being worked out, as well as the search for cheap sources of supply that can ensure a reduction in current fuel prices at gas stations. This has been discussed jointly with the private sector.”
ℹ️ Earlier it was reported that Lukoil (Russia) and Gulf (Rosneft 49%) increased the supply of gasoline from Russia, which ensured a reduction in prices in their networks. Over the past two weeks, the price of fuel has decreased by 0.3 lari per liter.

❗️ One of the foreign tourists climbing Mount Tetnuldi in Svaneti died.
His body has already been transferred to Mestia. Three more people from the group were hospitalized to the hospital, along with two Russian citizens (Alisa Shpak, born in 1990 and Alexei Litvinenko, born in 1984), who were previously delivered by helicopter to the injured.